Relates the life of John Chapman, known as Johnny Appleseed, who is famed for his distribution of apple seeds and trees across America.

With a bag of seeds and a pot on his head, John Chapman set out West to plant apple trees. He made lots of friends and planted lots of trees. Pretty soon, people started to call him Johnny Appleseed.

Who's that walking along the Ohio? It's Johnny Appleseed! He walks across the land, planting trees wherever he goes. So, everyone, clap your hands for Johnny Appleseed!

Who's that walking along the Ohio? It's Johnny Appleseed! He walks across the land, planting trees wherever he goes. So, everyone, clap your hands for Johnny Appleseed!

“Pollan shines a light on our own nature as well as on our implication in the natural world.” —The New York Times “A wry, informed pastoral.” —The New Yorker The book that helped make Michael Pollan, the New York Times bestselling author of How to Change Your Mind, Cooked and The Omnivore’s Dilemma, one of the most trusted food experts in America Every schoolchild learns about the mutually beneficial dance of honeybees and flowers: The bee collects nectar and pollen to make honey and, in the process, spreads the flowers’ genes far and wide. In The Botany of Desire, Michael Pollan ingeniously demonstrates how people and domesticated plants have formed a similarly reciprocal relationship. He masterfully links four fundamental human desires—sweetness, beauty, intoxication, and control—with the plants that satisfy them: the apple, the tulip, marijuana, and the potato. In telling the stories of four familiar species, Pollan illustrates how the plants have evolved to satisfy humankind’s most basic yearnings. And just as we’ve benefited from these plants, we have also done well by them. So who is really domesticating whom?

Presents the life story of John Chapman, whose distribution of apple seeds and trees across the Midwest made him a legend of tall tales and left a legacy still enjoyed today.

John Chapman, introduced apple trees to large part of the US Midwest and some parts of Canada. Known as Johnny Appleseed, he was an eccentric and religious man who was kind, generous, and loved animals. This book is an introduction to the life and generosity of Johnny Appleseed whose unselfishness inspired songs, books, and city parks. This jovial volume contains original artwork, historical context of the story, recounts the folktale from diverse cultures, and defines words unique to the story.